Recently, Disney gave fans a sneak peek of the Halloween-themed sequel they’ve been waiting for since 1993: Hocus Pocus 2. The original movie became a cult classic and is a beloved rewatch come Halloween season.
Disney has been tight-lipped on the sequel but did assure fans that the three Sanderson sisters, Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy would be reprising their roles as three scariest (and funniest) child-loving witches. In the sneak peek trailer, fans of the original learned more about what was to come — including the main storyline that brought the sisters back from the dead to Salem.
A New Group Of Kids
The original Hocus Pocus focused on siblings Max and Dani as they became acquainted with their new, witchy hometown of Salem. Max became close with his crush and classmate, Allison, who later introduced the siblings to the home of the Sanderson sisters.
There were a few theories that Allison was a witch because of her connection to the Sandersons but those theories were never answered. In the trailer, Allison, Dani, and Max were missing but a new set of students took their place. According to the sequel's IMDb, the three new main characters are Becca, Cassie, and Izzy.
A Birthday Ritual Brought The Witches Back
In the trailer, Cassie approached Becca and Izzy and wished Becca a happy birthday. After asking what she was doing to celebrate Becca responded, "Birthday ritual, scary movie marathon... same as every year."
There were a few hidden details in the Hocus Pocus 2 trailer that went unnoticed but the fact that it was Becca's birthday and the girls were doing some kind of ritual was not missed by fans. Becca and Izzy were then seen in a forest chanting the same thing the Sanderson sisters did in the first movie, which then split the ground beneath them before Winfred, Mary, and Sarah were seen.
Jacob Bailey High School Is Back... Or Is It?
Since the Sanderson sisters lived and died in the same area of Salem, Massachusetts, it's assumed that Becca, Izzy, and Cassie went to the same high school that Max and Allison went to, Jacob Bailey High School.
The school shown in the trailer for the sequel looked just like Jacob Bailey High School. However, there was a quick shot of the school's sign that proved differently. Briefly shown is the end of a sign that said Skelton High School. Could the sequel be in a different part of Salem, or at least in a different school district where the Sanderson sister's story lived on?
Book Returns!
While Becca and Izzy were chanting in the woods, trying to bring the Sanderson sisters back from the dead, a glimpse of Winifred's Book appeared. Book was a book of spells owned by Winifred Sanderson. Book was said to have been made out of human skin and gifted to Winifred by the Devil.
It was a good idea to create a sequel for Hocus Pocus so fans could learn more about this mysterious character that offered the Sandersons so much. Knowing the two students woke up Book—along with the Sanderson sisters—by their chants, life just got incredibly dangerous for Salem's kids.
A 16th Birthday And A New Witch
Actor Sam Richardson appeared in a brief scene where he's shown talking to the students. According to CBR, Richardson plays a magic shop owner named Gilbert. He told the girls, "You know, legend has it, it's on the 16th birthday that a witch gets her powers."
Considering Becca was able to bring the Sandersons back from the dead, this could mean that she or Izzy is a witch. If this is the case, it would be cool to see a few cast members from the original return help the young girls defeat the Sandersons since it's been done once before.
Is Binx Back?
In the original movie, Thackery Binx was a teenage boy who was cursed by the Sanderson sisters to live on for eternity as a cat. In cat form, Thackery followed Max, Dani, and Allison as they brought back the Sanderson sisters and, later, tried defeating them. Once they killed the Sandersons, Thackery's curse was broken and he was able to cross over to the other side.
Oddly enough, there was something that didn't make sense about Thackery. In the trailer for Hocus Pocus 2, a black cat that looked just like Thackery was seen hanging around the graveyard and the main characters. Could there be more people disguised as cats that were once cursed by the Sandersons?
Billy Butcherson's Tombstone Sighting
Thackery Binx told Dani, Allison, and Max that Billy Butcherson was Winifred's ex-boyfriend. When Winifred found out that Billy cheated on her with her sister Sarah, she poisoned him and he was buried in a nearby graveyard.
Billy came back to life before going back to sleep in the original and it looks like he may have an appearance in the sequel. In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, Billy's tombstone was shown in the graveyard with a shovel in front of it. Could this mean the students dug up Billy's grave? Or did their chanting wake him up? Billy had some of the more hilarious quotes in Hocus Pocus and added a twinge of hilarity to an otherwise tense movie.
The Black Flame Candle Reappears
The Black Flame Candle wasn't just an ordinary candle. As mentioned in the original, it was created out of the fat of humans and if it was lit by a virgin on Halloween night, spirits would awaken. Once Max, a virgin, lit this candle on Halloween, the Sanderson sisters awoke and all hell broke loose.
In the trailer, the Black Flame Candle was lit by the girls amid their chanting. With the candle's flame burning bright, who knows who else the girls awoken with their chants in the sequel.
Another Iconic Stage Performance
There's no denying that Winifred Sanderson was the strongest among her sisters. She led the group, created the plan, and had Mary and Sarah do everything for her. In the original, Winifred knew she could put a spell on the town of Salem through song and did just that at the town's Holloween party.
As they sang "I Put A Spell On You," the town was in a trance and the Sandersons reigned supreme. In the trailer for the sequel, it looks like there's another theatrical performance expected. A townie was seen talking to the Sanderson sisters, asking them if they were looking for the stage. With a creepy grin, Winifred said "Always" while her sisters smiled. This could mean the Sandersons put Salem under a new trance in the sequel.